Blast furnace charging top



Nov. 21, 1933. c. o. BARKS BLAST FURNACE CHARGING TOP Filed April 28,1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORN EYS Patented Nov. 21 1933 BLAST FURNACECHARGING TOP Charles 0. Barks, Birmingham, Ala.

Application April 28, 1930. Serial No. 447,796

14 Claims.

My invention relates to a charging top for blast furnaces comprising ahopper associated with a lower or big bell and an upper or small bell,the latter being adapted to coact with its respective seat to close thetop of the charging hopper when the big bell is lowered to charge thestock from the hopper into the furnace.

In tops of the character described, the small bell is mountedindependently of the big bell and is usually rotated step-by-stepautomatically responsive to the operation of the skip or any equivalenthoisting means for the stock.

My present invention contemplates the application of a novel arrangementof deflectors in the path of the stock falling from the little to thebig bell, these deflectors preferably being attached to the small orupper bell to the end that each constituent of the stock as it falls.onto the big bell will collect thereon in piles distributed about thehopper so that the ore,

coke, and limestone will be deposited in the furnace in such manner asto obtain a better and more uniform penetration of the stock in thefurnace by the air blast whereby I obtain a more efiicient operation of,and better production from, the furnace.

More particularly, my invention constitutes an improvement upon theblast furnace top forming the subject matter of United States LettersPatent No. 1,492,013, issued to me on the 31st day of March, 1924, inwhich I show deflectors mounted fixedly in the charging hopper betweenthe bells.

In my present invention corresponding deflectors are made movable, theypreferably being underhung from the upper or small bell and rotatabletherewith so as to assume different operating positions as the stock ischarged and therefore they will produce a different distribution ofstock from that obtained by my patent aforesaid.

The advantage of adapting the means which rotate the deflectors to causethem to assume successive differing operating positions lies in the factthat thereby I prevent the tendency of the ore piles to fall in verticalalignment in the furnace which they would do in my previous patentwherein the deflectors were fixed and not movable. When the ore pilesfall in vertical alignment there is a tendency of the gases to channeland not be distributed in the best manner throughout the furnace burden.but by rotating the deflectors so that they will assume differentoperating positions the ore piles will fall out of alignment and in factwill follow a V be described.

helical path about the furnace, causing the most efficient distributionof the air blast as it works up through the burden.

My invention comprises the novel detailsof construction and arrangementsof parts, which ,60 in their preferred embodiment only are illustratedin the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification,and in which: c

Fig. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view through a typical blastfurnace charging top showing the 55 small bell equipped with improvedstock distributors, the details of the skip hoist drive for shifting theoperating position of the little bell angularly about its vertical axisbeing omitted as same may be of any well known or standard construction.

Fig. 2 is a plan View enlarged of a portion of the small bell. I v

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on the line IIIIII of Fig. 2.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout thedrawings.

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated, I show a portion of thetop of thestack 5 of a typical blast furnace having a charging top 6suitably mounted thereon and comprising a charging hopper '7 normallyclosed by the lower or big bell 8 having an operating rod 9 rising abovethe chargingtop and there connected to any suitable mechanism, notshown, for raising and lowering the big bell. The inverted frustoconical toplO of the charging hopper comprises a seat 11 for the upperorsmall be1l12 which is operated by a sleeve 13 surrounding the rod 9and connected to a suitable gear 14 which is adapted to be'engaged bysuitable mechanism for rotating the small bell with a step-by-stepmovement responsive to the operation of the stock hoisting mechanism.Assuch means for rotating the small bell is well known and forms noparticular part. of my present invention, I do not illustrate it, as anymeans suitable to this end may be employed which will so move thedistributors that they will assume different operating positions.

The small bell in question is of the standard type, such as is now incustomary use, and my invention consists in mounting on this bell anovel arrangement of stock deflectors which will now To the lowerportion of the inner face of the small bell I attach a number ofbrackets, preferably in the form of castings 15 which are suitablybolted or otherwise secured rigidly to the small bell and which dependsubstantially below its lower edge. In practice they depend approxi--mately 8 below the bell 12. Each bracket has a bottom V-shaped seat 16to receive an angle iron deflector 17 that is suitably bolted orotherwise secured rigidly at one end to the seat, its other endprojecting sufllciently beyond the base of the small bell to engage anddeflect the stock falling from said small bell into the hopper.

By dropping the deflectors substantially below the little bell I givethe stock opportunity to clear the bell and to strike the deflectors infull flight whereby there is no tendency of the stock to collect on thedeflectors and they will produce more sharply defined distinct piles ofstock on the big bell.

In practice these deflectors extend approximately 18" beyond theprojecting periphery of the small bell and they are disposed with theirapex uppermost. Five or six or" these deflectors may be arranged aboutthe small bell as may be desired,'and it is obvious that as they wearthey may be readily replaced at a nominal expense.

In operation, as the ore, coke or limestone is charged into the hopperfrom the hoist mechanism it is deflected as it falls from the small bellinto the hopper and it will therefore collect in piles upon the bigbell. As the ore and coke components are charged alternately and thesmall bell is moved between charges of ore and coke, the coke and orewill be dropped in separate piles, the piles of ore being staggered withrespect to the piles of ore adjacent thereto both above and below toproduce the distribution of the air blast before referred to. Having inths manner placed the requisite amount of stool: on the big bell, thesmall bell is raised to sealthe top of the charging hopper and the bigbell is lowered therefrom discharging the stock thereon into the blastfurnace. The coke, ore, etc., falling into the furnace will maintain thedistribution established for them upon the big bell and this results insuch distribution of the ore with relation to the coke and limestonethat the stock in the furnace is very pervious to the furnace blast anda larger production of iron and a more efficient operation of the'blastfurnace results.

Though I have described with great particularity the details of theembodiment of the invention herein shown, it is not to be construed thatI am limited thereto, as changes in arrangement and substitution ofequivalents maybe made by those skilled in the art without departingfrom the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:- r

1. In a blast furnace charging top, the combination with a charginghopper and a big bell therefor, of a small bell adapted to close theupper portion of the hopper and carrying radial deflectors underhungtherefrom and adapted to split the stool: falling the small bell at alevel substantially below the said small bell so as to distributeit inpiles on the big bell. 1

2. A blast furnace charging top according to claim 1, in which the smallbell is of the rotatable type movable step-by-step responsive to thefeed of stock into the hopper so as to deposit the ore piles out ofvertical alignment in the furnace.

3. A blast furnace charging top according to claim 1, in which thedeflectors are formed by angle irons carried by brackets underhung'fromthe small bell. I I 5 I a 4. In a-blast furnace chargingtop comprising ahopper and a lower bell, an upper bell having a seat, means to raise andlower the upper bell and rotate it step-by-step about a vertical axis todifferent operating positions, a plurality of metallic bracketsunderhung from the upper bell and projecting substantially below itsbottom level, and an angle iron deflector mounted on each bracket toproject radially into the path of stock falling from the upper bell,said deflectors being equi-distantly spaced about the upper bell.

5. In a blast furnace charging top, the coinbination with a charginghopper and a big bell therefor, of a small bell rotatably mounted androtatable multiple deflector means interposed between said bells andadapted to deposit the stock in a plurality of piles arranged in spacedrelation about the big bell.

6. Charging means for blast furnaces comprisa large lower bell andhopper; a small upper bell and hopper; a hood enclosing the spacebetween said hoppers; and rotatable outwardly-extended spacedstock-splitting members supported at their inner ends between the largeand small bells for splitting stock discharge from said small bell intodistinct substantially radial piles.

7. Charging means-for blast furnaces comprising, a'charging hopper; avertically-reciprocable big lower distributing bell with which saidhopper co-acts; a hood supported by said hopper; a second hopper mountedon said hood and having a lower chute portion adapted to dischargethrough said hood into said charging hopper; an upper little chargingbell with which the bottom edge of said chute co-acts to form a gasseal; and a plurality of spaced stock-splitting members secured to saidlittle bell extended outwardly. therefrom below said chute, said membersbeing formed and arranged to split stockdischarged from said little bellinto distinct substantially radial piles.

8. Charging means for blast furnaces comprising, a charging hopper; avertically-reciprocable big lower distributing bell with which saidhopper co-acts; a hood supported by said hopper; a second hopper mountedon said hood and having a lower chute portion adapted to dischargethrough said hood into said charging hopper; a rotatable upper littlecharging bell with which said chute co-acts to form a gas seal; and aplurality of spaced stock-splitting members secured to said little belland extended outwardly therefrom beducing the rotation of said littlebell; means for supporting said little bell and for raising and loweringthe same; and a plurality of spaced stocksplitting'mernbers supported attheir inner ends between the large and small bells and extendedoutwardly beyond said little bell toward said hood wall. 7

l0. Charging means for blast furnaces comprising a charging bell and aplurality of substantially horizontal spaced stock-splitting membersbelow the bell and extended outwardly beyond'the bell perimeter, saidmembers being supported at their inner ends and being formed andarranged for splitting stock discharged from the bell 'into distinctsubstantially radial piles. V

- ll. Charging means for blast furnaces comprising a charging 'hopper} avertically-reciprocable lower hell with which said hopper co-acts, asecond hopper spaced from and mounted above said charging hopper, a hoodenclosing the space between said hoppers, an upper bell mounted forvertical movement in said hood and associated with said second hopper soas to form a gas seal therewith when in raised position, a rotatableseries of spaced stock-splitting members formed and arranged to splitstock discharged from said upper bell into distinct substantially radialpiles, and means supporting said members between said upper bell andsaid hood.

12. Charging means for blast furnaces comprising a charging hopper, ahood supported by said hopper, a second hopper mounted on said hood, anupper rotatable bell mounted for vertical movement in said hood andassociated with said second hopper so as to form a gas seal therewithwhen in raised position, a series of spaced stockperimeter, said membersbeing formed and ar-,

ranged to split stock discharged from said bell into distinctsubstantially radial piles.

14. A blast furnace charging top according to claim 5, in which themultiple deflector means are rotated so as to assume successivediffering operating positions thereby to deposit the ore piles out ofvertical alignment in the furnace.

CHARLES O. BARKS.

